Drawer lining or the like



Jan. 2, 1934'. L. F. WORTH 1,941,922

DRAWER LINING OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 14. 1952 fnz/en or lea f h arf'i Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAWEB, LINING OR THE LIKE Application November 14, 1932 Serial No. 842,577

4 Claim.

This invention relates to drawer linings or the like.

It is desirable to keep medical and dental instruments free from direct contact with the usual metal or wooden drawer structures which may damage the instruments or are difficult to sterilize. Rubber trays which in the past have been used for this purpose have afforded a lodging place between the tray and the drawer for dirt and bacteria which it is an object or" my invention to avoid.

Among other objects, the invention aims to provide an improved rubber drawer lining for medical or dental cabinets, for example, which is held snugly in place without extraneous fastening means and which may be readily cleaned and sterilized while at the same time protecting both the instruments and the drawer.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing an illustrative embodiment of my invention and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lining embody my invention;

Figure 2 is a cross section of a drawer showing my invention incorporated therewith; and

Figure 3 is a partial enlarged section of the lining.

Referring in detail to the figures of the drawing, I have shown, in general, my improved lining 1 and a drawer 2 with which the lining may be used. The drawer 2 as shown includes a bottom 3 and four sides, three of which 4, 5 and 6 are shown. These parts of the drawer may be advantageously constructed of enameled metal suitably secured together.

The lining 1 is desirably of molded soft rubber, preferably of a white or light color, and formed into a tray-like member as best shown in Figure 1 having a bottom wall '7 and integral side walls 8, 9, 10 and 11, extending upwardly from the bottom wall.

As best shown in Figure 3, each of the side walls is thickened as at 12 where it joins the bottom wall to give stability to the side wall and insure that it will stand firmly unsupported and undistorted. From the thickened portion 12 each of the side walls, in accordance with my invention, flares outwardly and laterally away from the bottom wall 7, desirably tapering substantially to a knife-edge at its upper edge 13. As shown in the drawing, the inner surface of' each of the side walls may be rounded away from the edge 13 as at 14, and then in a reverse curve of a relatively large radius as at 15, rounded out gradually to meet the upper surface 16 of the bottom wall 7. The outer surface of each side wall may join the lower surface 1'7 of the bottom wall '7 in a curve 18 of smaller radius and then continue upwardly substantially vertically as at 19 to terminate in a slight outwardly directed curve as at 20. The thickened portion 12 of the side walls is desirably thicker than both the bottom wall 7 and the upper edge of the side walls.

When the lining 1 is inserted in the drawer 2 as shown in Figure 2, the bottom wall '1 of the lining substantially covers the bottom 3 of the drawer and the side walls of the tray extend upwardly to a sufficient distance upon the sides of the drawer (preferably less than the vertical height of the sides) to protect the drawer from the metal instruments dropped therein and conversely to protect the instruments from damage by the material of the drawer. Since 76 the lining is resilient and its side walls outwardly flared as described, no nice fit of the lining for a given drawer is necessary and the lining may be used with drawers of slightly varying sizes. As shown in Figure 2, the side walls of the lining are 80 capable of standing alone while the upper edges 13 grip the sides of the drawer, serving to hold the lining secure against accidental displacement and also preventing the entry of dirt between the lining and the drawer. In other words, the lining has its maximum perimeter at its extreme upper edge or rim. When it is desired to remove the lining, one of the edges 13 may be readily pried away from the drawer, and, the lining being highly flexible, is easily removed.

It has been found in practice that the lining slips into a drawer so snugly that it has somewhat the effect of a piston expelling the air in the drawer.

The bottom wall '7 of the lining may be advantageously thickened at intervals as at 21 to provide parallel detent ridges on the upper surface 16 of the lower wall, which restrain rolling or moving about 01' the instrument as the drawer is pushed or pulled.

So constructed and arranged, sharp corners which might afford lodgment for dirt are eliminated.

Having described an embodiment of my tion, I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a drawer lining or the like embodying a tray-like member of elastic material having a bottom wall and integral side walls extending upwardly therefrom, said side walls where they join the bottom wall being 110 p n. all",

inventhicker than the bottom wall and being tapered substantially to a knife-edge at their upper edges, said upper edges being flared laterally away from the bottom wall.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the bottom wall is thickened at intervals to provide parallel detent ridges upon the upper surface of the bottom wall.

3. As an article of manufacture, a drawer lining or the like embodying a tray-like member of molded elastic material having a bottom wall and integral side walls extending upwardly therefrom, said side walls where they join the bottom wall being thicker than the bottom wall and having their inner surfaces merging into the upper surface 01' the bottom wall in a curve of relatively large radius and at their upper edges being flared laterally away from the bottom wall, said upper edges tapering substantially to a knife edge.

4. As an article of manufacture, the combination with a drawer; of a lining therefor embodying a rubber tray or like membervsnugly received therein and having a bottom wall covering the bottom of the drawer and outwardly flaring side walls of less height than the drawer sides, said side walls where tray joins the bottom wall being relatively thickened and tapering substantially to a knife edge at their upper edges, whereby said side walls of the lining resiliently grip the sides of the drawer.

LEO F. WORTH. 

